MEDIA ADVISORY: Illinois National Guard offers media opportunity to ride on a KC-135

Event is part of a flyover of the Chicago Air and Water Show Aug. 19 and 20

CHICAGO (08/07/2017) (readMedia)-- WHO:

• Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing

WHAT:

• Media invited to see a flyover from a "bird's eye view"

• Media will board a KC-135 Stratotanker, a military air refueling tanker, to see first-hand flyovers of the Chicago Air and Water Show in Chicago and Bonne Terre Aire Festival in Bonne Terre, Missouri.

WHEN/WHERE:

• Aug. 19 and Aug. 20, 2017

• Pick-up/drop-off location will be the Gary/Chicago International Airport, 6001 Airport Road in Gary, Indiana

• Departure time will be determined 48 hours before mission; media will be notified of time on Aug. 17 (expect a morning departure).

• Flight time will be approximately 2.5 hours

WHY:

• The 126th is the oldest of the three Illinois Air National Guard units.

• In 2017, the Illinois National Guard is commemorating the 100th anniversary of U.S. entry into World War I.

• Though the unit's history can be traced to the establishment of the 802nd Aero Squadron in 1917, the 126th's official birthdate is November 1950.

• The 802nd was deactivated in 1919 and federally reactivated in 1927 as the 108th Observation Squadron, based in Chicago, making it the first Air National Guard squadron formed in Illinois.

• In November 1950, the 108th was made part of the newly formed 126th Composite Wing, later renamed the 126th Air Refueling Wing because of a mission change.

• In 1999, the 126th moved from Chicago to its current home at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Media personnel who wish to fly must RSVP to the Illinois National Guard Public Affairs Office at ng.il.ilarng.list.staff-pao@mail.mil or 217-761-3569 with full name, media outlet, email, phone number, date of birth and date you would like to participate (Aug. 19 or 20) no later than August 15, 2017.

• Contact the Illinois National Guard Public Affairs Office for more information.

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